


You're Going to Remember to Breathe at Some Point

by victoriousscarf



Series: Heart Like a Golden String [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-25 22:39:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriousscarf/pseuds/victoriousscarf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What’re you doing here?” he asked, when Ori stood along the wall, watching several of the other dwarves finish cooking, whispering directly into his ear.</p><p>Ori’s head tilted back. “Nori was going,” he said, softly, and his expression clearly added that Fili and Kili were going. “I know I’m young, but so are you and Kili and I wanted to come.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Going to Remember to Breathe at Some Point

Seeing Ori in Bag End felt like a punch to Fili’s gut. He felt an escalation of joy followed by sudden sharp fear unlike anything he’d felt when he or Kili agreed to go on the quest.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked, when Ori stood along the wall, watching several of the other dwarves finish cooking, whispering directly into his ear.

Ori’s head tilted back. “Nori was going,” he said, softly, and his expression clearly added that Fili and Kili were going. “I know I’m young, but so are you and Kili and I wanted to come.”

Fili bit the inside of his lip, having thought that no matter what might happen on the quest, Ori would still be back in the Blue Mountains, bundled up and safe. Still, he could hardly deny the flash of warmth in his chest that Ori would be close no matter where he went. “And Dori?” Fili asked, one hand snaking to rest on Ori’s back.

A tiny smile flittered across Ori’s face. “He came to make sure I was kept safe, and to mother hen the entire company most like,” he said, Fili choking on air on the idea of being pestered along the entire quest, Dori fussing over them all. “Mostly to keep me safe from Nori, of course.”

Fili’s hand rested warm and heavy on Ori’s back before they broke away before it became too obvious they were standing so close and as Oin glanced in their direction.

Most of the night passed in a blur of good food, drink and dwarven laughter. Fili focused on that, on seeing his uncle and watching the behavior of the hobbit and not the growing panic in his chest. Instead, he walked over the table and handed Ori a drink from above, threw plates back and forth with his brother and listened intently to his uncle, startling slightly when Ori declared he wasn’t afraid of anything.

Fili felt pretty sure he was scared enough for the both of them in that moment.

Kili shuffled Fili off after dinner and after the intention of the quest was declared and the hobbit fainted in his own hallway.  “You’re going to remember to breathe at some point,” Kili told him, turning a corner and they both considered the study they found themselves in with tilted heads.

“Balin would like it here,” Fili said and his brother turned to stare levelly at him. “I’m breathing perfectly fine, brother, I don’t understand the purpose of your statement.”

Kili crossed his arms over his chest, arching a dark brow and Fili sighed, shifting and looking down. “Did you know he was planning on coming?” he asked and Kili shook his head.

“No, I don’t think he much told anyone, though he seems to be claiming he’s following Nori, as it was high time for him to get out and on a quest,” Kili said. “Which, is hardly odd. Though I’d figured he’d be following you as much as his brother.”

Fili shifted again, following his brother’s advice and focusing on breathing. “I didn’t expect to see him.”

“Why does it bother you?” Kili asked. “You’ve looked as panicked as I tend to when no one’s looking.”

“Except your eyes always make you look panicked,” Fili said with a snicker and Kili shoved his shoulder with his. “I’m worried,” Fili admitted.

“We’re dwarves,” Kili said, picking up a book from the shelf and flipping through it aimlessly, frowning and holding it upside down when he couldn’t understand it.

“Yes,” Fili agreed, moving farther into the room. “We go on quests, and this is for our homeland. He has every right to be here, but,” he frowned, taking the book from his brother and setting it back down, prompting Kili to pick up another. “But I expected to be content to think him safe and warm somewhere else, no matter what trials we might face.”

Kili nodded, holding the book up to the light of the candles. “Do you think this is elvish?” he asked. “We shouldn’t let uncle see it if it is, he already thinks little enough of our burglar. Brother, would you have him stay home always then?”

The corner of Fili’s mouth twisted unhappily. “No,” he said, leaning his hips against the desk. “Just not _this_ quest. You know as well as I do he practices with a slingshot.”

“He’s a pretty good aim with it too,” Kili said and Fili barely managed not to growl at him.

“It’s still a sling shot,” he said, shifting his shoulders. “It won’t do good against most of our foes.”

Kili closed the book, setting it down and facing his brother full on. “If you asked him, he would probably turn around and go home.”

“No,” Fili said without taking much time to think about it. “I would never ask that of anyone. He wants to be here and—and as much as I might be afraid, the thought of him here is… it’s a good one.”

“Think of it this way,” Kili said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. “You’ll be able to see each other every day. And whatever we go through, you’ll go through it together. This way, you get to protect him on his first quest too,” Kili beamed and Fili didn’t ask who would be protecting him, or add that he already had Kili to protect.

“Yes,” he agreed and they slipped out of the study, entering the hobbit’s kitchen. Fili’s fingers stroked his pipe as they slowly joined together in song, watching Ori through the smoke and dim lighting and feeling a lightness he couldn’t name as well as overwhelming fear.

Afterwards, when the dwarves were finding a place to settle down for the night, Ori pressed up against his side, breathing against his neck. “I haven’t told my brothers,” he murmured.

“I never technically told Kili,” Fili replied, feeling his brother warm on the floor behind his back and Kili huffed out a laugh. “Do you intend to keep it a secret?” he asked, not entirely sure he liked the idea.

“I’m not really sure they’d understand,” Ori said, voice tiny and Fili wrapped an arm around his waist, the three of them in the study as Oin and Gloin bickered over the couch and Thorin had been shown the guest room.

Kili laughed again. “They’d probably say you’re taking advantage of him, brother.”

Rolling his eyes, Fili focused on Ori. “Am I taking advantage of you?” he breathed and Ori laughed, the sound much softer than Kili’s brash tones.

“No,” Ori assured him, fingers twisting up in the fur of Fili’s coat.

“We’re going to have a lot more to worry about,” Fili said, burying his nose in Ori’s hair and already starting to fall asleep. “We can tell them later.”

He just hoped to Mahal as he felt Ori’s breathing even out that there was going to be a later to tell anyone in. But that night, and many nights to come as they journeyed across the face of the world, he fell asleep between Kili and Ori and it seemed that nothing would touch them. 


End file.
